Jackson tha Lyrasist aka JtL – Producer / Artist
Jackson tha Lyrasist aka JtL, was born and raised in Mansfield, Ohio. Being born at the turn of the eighties, he was submerged in to a culture of music when legendary artists like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Madonna, and Phil Collins were on the rise. Music was all around him throughout his childhood. Jackson’s mother loved music, so they always listened to music together. His father played guitar and sang in a duo. His stepfather played the piano. And both grandmothers were gifted piano players who played in the local churches in Mansfield. Jackson’s love for music developed at an early age. His first instrument was a drum set he got for Christmas at the age of five. Later in life he learned to play the violin and piano, but the trumpet was his primary instrument. At the age of 12, Jackson started writing music and lyrics and eventually coined the name Jackson tha Lyrasist to write under. High school ended and college soon became his main focus and the studies were intense. He went through his undergraduate studies and finished professional school at The Ohio State University. Throughout his college years, playing music became less of a priority, but he never stopped writing. The love for good music was always a part of Jackson. From the time he was a kid with a walkman, to being a young adult with a mp3 player, he always had music with him and always kept up with current artists. Jackson has an appreciation for all genres of music, but is partial to Hip Hop, R&B and Pop. Jackson’s passion for music, along with his musical background fueled his desire to start producing and recording music.
Number 5
Number 5 began listening to hip-hop music as a young child. At age 11 he was trading personal items for cassette tapes of Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic”, Snoop Dogg’s “Doggystyle”, and Warren G’s “Regulate”. While a freshman at Kent State University, he learned the art of freestyle rapping while hanging out with some local Cleveland rappers that also lived in his dorm. Those same friends are the ones who adopted the name “Number 5”. As they began playing basketball together, they didn’t yet know his real name. However, he always wore a cut-off shirt with a “5” on the back, and thus they began referring to him as “Number 5” both on the basketball court as well as in his dorm room recording studio.
Number 5 was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before finishing Jr. High and High School in northeastern Ohio. Since graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree from The Ohio State University, facets of life have taken him to live in multiple cities including Atlanta and Los Angeles. His hip-hop influences include but are not limited to: Drake, Eminem, Lil’ Wayne, Ludacris, and Nas.
He currently resides in Columbus, Ohio.
DK – Artist / Producer
As a young child, DK was adopted in to a home of 25 kids and raised by two Yugoslavian immigrants in Mansfield, Ohio. Growing up, he taught himself how to play a variety of instruments as well as act. Chasing his passions, DK submerged himself in to the world of music and acting. He excelled quickly landing key roles in numerous school and local theater productions in the Mansfield area. After high school, DK became known as TMS and became involved with other musicians and artists throughout the country by recording, producing and selling music in the underground music scene. DK eventually released a R&B solo album in 2003 called Through My Eyes. He returned to acting in 2015 earning multiple credits in such movies as White Boy Rick (2018), starring Mathew McCoughney, Clown Town (2016), starring Brian Nagel, Killer Karnedge (2016) and the 2017 TV series The Blueprint Saints, enshrining his name in to the IMDb data base. DK is currently recording his second solo album, while collaborating with other artists as he continues to build his dreams.